Mothers

As I think about Mother's Day, I can't help but think of all the wonderful mothers that have helped shape me and who I am. I am so tremenously blessed when it comes to having had amazing women in my life.

Growing up my mom was a very fun and active mom. I can say that up through my teen age years she was one of my best friends. She was amazing to me. I was a competitive swimmer from 8 years old on and I didn't ever realize what a sacrifice this was for her. When you are on a swim team you have practice every day for 2 hours and then EVERY Saturday you have a swim meet that could go all day. As I got older I swam on 2 different teams one that competed acorss the western United states and another one that competed across Utah.  I can't imagine how she did this with 6 kids. I also played the Violin from the time I was 7 up until about 10 years ago. My mom drove me to all of my lesson's and concerts. My mom was always willing to get to know my friends and spend time with us.

When I was lucky enough to have daughters of my own I started apprecaiting how much my mom and so many other women had done for me. As they have grown over the years I have truly learned the sacrafices that my mom made for me so that I could be who I am today and so that I could ahve a wonderful life. I LOVE being a mom and would not trade it for anything. I am the luckiest mom in the world. I have the most amazing 5 children

I have so many wonderful women in my life now and that have been there throughout my life that have helped to shape me and make me who I am. Dear Friends, sisters, mom, mother in law's, Grandma's, YW leaders and my daughters. I am so blessed!



My mom, Dad, Older sister Lorisa and me as a baby!



Me fishing with my mom and my Aunt Mary Kay

 My mom was always outside with us. She loved to work in our yard which was very large! I LOVE lilac bushes and can't walk past one or smell one without thinking of my mom. She took us fishing, hiking and anything you can think of outside.


My mom the Dog Lover with our Dog when I was a child.



Mom with us Camping when we were little

 I don't remember a time when we didn't have a trailer or a motorhome. Some of my favorite memories are when my parents would load all of us kids up for a vacation. I didn't fly on a plane until I was 17 but we had driven most of the united states, been to almost all the national parks and everywhere in between. I honestly can't imagine how my parents did it. I have taken my kids on one RV trip and have to say they had the time of their lives but for me as a parent it wasn't nearly as fun. I cherish my memories though from our trips in our motorhome or trailers growing up.


My mom loved to Hike and was always taking us hiking when we were growing up.



My mom...right when my parents got married



My Baptism with my mom, my best friend and siblings in Vernal



When I was in 9th grade on one of our MANY RV trips across the country



My mom was always pulling faces and being silly



Or Posing funny...check out those pants!!



Mom in our kitchen of the house I grew up in



Us in Lake Powell...my favorite annual vacation



After our flour fight all over our house. My mom actually started it. As a mom with a house of my own that I have to clean up I can't imagine starting a flour fight with my kids. This is still one of my favorite memories with my mom.



I KNOW not politacly correct but it was hysterical. We asked my mom and my friends mom to serve us dinner for a dance in high school and much to our surprise as you can see below this is how they dressed up and served us. My mom was always doing crazy things like this.



My mom with me on my wedding day. Short little mama

I am so grateful for the example that My mom gave to me all of my life. There wasn't a time where I doubted or have doubted my mom's belief's or her love for my dad. They truly have a beautiful freindship. I know how rare that is and I feel so blessed that I was raised ina home where my parents loved each other dearly. 


My mom and dad.



Me walking out of the seminary building in 9th grade to see my mom dressed as a homeless person...Thankfully she also brought a ton of pizza's with her for me and my friends.



Mom with my first born daughter...Cassidy

My daughter was my mom's second Grandchild and first grand daughter. What an amazing blessing and joy it is to have your mom there when you have a child. When Cassidy was born my mom watched her when I ahd to go back to work. I am so grateful that she was willing to do this for me.


Mom with Cassidy



Mom with Cassidy at my Grandma Bertoch's house



Mom having a birthday party for Cassidy



Mom with Kailee and her wonderful feeding bag..



Mom dressed up for Cassidy's halloween party when Cass was in 2cnd or 3rd grade



Holding Kailee at Gram's house



With Kailee at Therapy when she was in PCMC



with my kids and neices and nephews camping



With Greyden



With Cass and Kailee at Primary Children's Hospital



Grandma Sandy with Cassidy

When I got married to my first husband, I got the most wonderful woman Sandy as another mom. You hear all the jokes about bad mother in law's but I have been truly blessed this way. Sandy is and was always so wonderful to me and my girls. She has only boys so me, Cassidy and Kailee were her first girls. She truly became one of my best friends. She is one of the only people that was willing to tend Kailee after her accident. Even after Justin and I got divorced she was always still so kind to me and tried to take my girls every chance she got. She is one of the best Grandma's I have ever seen to Cassidy now. I am so grateful for this wonderful woman in my life. 


Grandma Sandy with Cass and Kailee



My mom and Grandma Sandy on the day Kailee died.



My parents and my kids on the day Cass graduated from 6th grade

 

 








My amazing Grandma Bertoch

OH my Grandma Bertoch....How do I put into words how much I love this beautiful woman. I don't hardly remember a day of my childhood that I didn't go to her house or see her. I am more blessed than most people in that my Grandparents lived just across the street from us and were so wonderful to us. What an example to me of what a wife, mother and grandmother should be. I honestly pray that I can be half the grandma that she has been to me. There isn't one significant event in my life that she wasn't there for. Some of my favorite memories of Gram's are her player piano that we would sing along to. Her cookie Jar that we always tried to get into without her hearing us. I now have this cookie jar in my kitchen. Her giving us taffy everytime we left her house. Her Marigold's in her front yard. There are just too many but I am so grateful for her and what she has done for me. 


Gram's with Kailee



Gram's with Kailee when she was born



My Gram's all dressed up...



Leana Matalii who was like a mother to me in High School and helped me to become a strong, independant woman. I love her so dearly and can't express how much she blessed me and my life. She is a Proud Apache indian and is one of the best examples of a wonderful mom's I have ever known.



My AMAZING YW leaders...I had so many that were instrumental in who I am. But I don't have pictures of them all and Rosemary and Tanya were my leaders for 4 years. Love them both



Me with my mom, Grandma and my great Aunts. These amazing, beautiful women are and were so important to me in shaping who I am. I was fortunate enough to have them all live within walking distance to me all my growing up years.



Not a very flattering photo of me but I think it shows the feelings I had when my first child was placed in my arms. These are feelings that are so overwhelming and can't be described.



This is Tammy, she was our nanny for over 4 years and was like a second mom to my children especially Kailee. This was when she had her first son.



Me with my sisters and sister in law's who I admire so much and they are such wonderful examples to me of what a mother should be. I am so blessed to have them as friends and sisters.